INTRO: Human beings are not born thankful. That little baby never says thanks for changing his diaper. The toddler never says "thanks" for giving him a bath. We have to teach thankfulness. THATS WHAT I WANT TO DO TODAY.
When I was a kid my dad would take me to the Barber shop. (Back when MEN got hair CUTS not styles.) The barber Vance Trembol would cut my hair (short) then when he was through he would give me a piece of Double Bubble gum. My day would say to me, "What do you say?" then I would say "Thank you." WE NEED TO TEACH OUR CHILDREN THANKFULNESS.
Most in this room have learned to say thank you to people who help us but we have NOT LEARNED THE SECRET OF THANKFULNESS to GOD.
THREE TRUTHS I WANT YOU TO ABSORB TODAY.
I. WE ARE TO THANK GOD FOR EVERYTHING.
II. The ABUNDANT LIFE DEPENDS ON THANKFULNESS
III. THANKFULNESS IS A HABIT THAT CAN BE DEVELOPED
I WE ARE TO BE THANKFUL FOR EVERYTHING I THESS 5:18
A. In EVERYTHING give thanks. We are to thank God for the PAINFUL THINGS TOO.
ILLUS: A lady walked into the preachers office and told him that her husband had left her. He said, "have you thanked God yet?" "why would I thank God for my husband leaving?" BECAUSE GIVING THANKS FOR EVERYTHING IS GODS WILL.
1. Rom 8:28 says " all things work together for good to them who love the Lord and are the called according to his purpose.
See- You are saved. your are God's child. You Love God, and you are seeking his will. ALL THINGS WILL WORD TOGETHER FOR GOOD.
SO YOU CAN THANK GOD FOR ALL THINGS
2. Now suppose you are not all together in God's will and some pain enters your life. You are going to pray. right. Everybody, will call on god when the painful trials come.
a. Phil. 4:6 Be careful for nothing; but in EVERYTHING by prayer and supplication with THANKSGIVING let your requests be known unto God.
If you are to recieve peace in the painful trials you need to thank God for the trial as you make your request of him. Thank him that the trial brought you to the palce where you had to call on him.
I said: We need to Thank God for Everything
II. THE ABUNDANT LIFE DEPENDS ON THANKFULNESS.
A. Jesus promised his followers life more abundant. This means a life that is FULL and SATISFYING even if the wolf is at the door.
1. There are some things that make an abundant life. there is JOY, FAITH, LOVE, VISION.
a.When you are thankful you bring Joy to God. (as A father i don't know what brings me more joy than to have one of my kids say " Dad, thank you for what you have done." "I'm not talking about "polite, Thank you's but the real thing. I believe that GOd rejoices when we are TRULY GRATEFUL and thank him FOR WHAT HE DOES.
b. When you are thankful you bring Joy to others. I wrote a " letter to my S.S. teacher. Mrs. McNab. thanking her. DO YOU THINK SHE WAS HAPPY? Some people here need to bring a little JOY into the lives of those who have sacrificed so you can be saved. A letter, a "thank you" to some dear saint who gave and gave for you.
c. When you are thankful JOY COMES INTO YOUR HEART. The giving of thanks has a way of erasing the Gloom of the bad things. When you thank God for everything, you begin to see it from God's perspective. You see the benefits you gain even from the pain. I AM THANKFUL TODAY for those trials of yesterday. I JUST WISH SOMEONE HAD TAUGHT ME TO BE THANKFUL FOR THEM WHEN THEY WERE HAPPENING.
B. Faith. The old song " Count Your Blessings" says. "count your blessing Name them one by one, and it will surprise you what the Lord has done." OUR FAITH IS WEAK because we Don't pay attention to the things God has done. We are like the children of Israel. ( saved by great miracles, but had little faith) THAE SAME GOD THAT PARTED THE READ SEA, can give victory in Canaan. The same God that brought victory at Jericho can do it again. THE SAME GOD THAT HAS PROVIDED for this church for the past 185 years can STILL PROVIDE. COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS, BE THANKFUL. and you FAITH WILL BE MADE STRONGER.
C. To be Thankful will deepen your love for God and for others. You say, " pastor, I just don't feel as much love for God as I used to," Start being thankful for all he has done and you will. When you were down and out, and he picked you up you were so thankful, you tingled then. TINGLE AGAIN. count your blessings, THANK GOD.
You say "pastor I don't love old so & so down at the church." "I used to love everybody but it seems that they have more faults than they used to have." No they don't have more faults it's just that you have been taking them for granted. You have quit thanking them for doing the job they do and begun criticizing them. GOOD NIGHT. BE THANKFUL, Tell them today,
Illus. I conducted a funeral for a loyal soldier of the cross. A Old saint that served the Lord and church with out fan-fare for years. Un-thanked for the most part. At her funeral you should have heard them tell how wonderful she was. I WANTED TO CRY because she never heard that what she was alive. GO ON A THANKING BINGE and you love will Grow .
D. When you are thankful you vision improves. Not your sight! your vision. Not you eyes, your outlook. TO BE THANKFUL WILL HELP YOU HAVE AN OPTIMISTIC AND HOPEFUL OUTLOOK ON LIFE.
You will see the donut and not the hole, you'll see the glass half full and not half empty. You'll see the potential and not the problem. You'll see the opportunity and not the opposition.
1. Optimist comes from Latin word "optimus" which means "best". pessimist from L. word "pessimus" which means "worst" LOOK FOR THE BEST NOT THE WORST. Look for things to be thankful for and you will find plenty.
III THANKFULNESS IS A HABIT THAT CAN BE DEVELOPED.
"FIRST WE MAKE OUR HABITS, THEN OUR HABITS MAKE US!"
A. We are what we are because of the habits that we develop. Humans are creatures of habit. We do the same things all the time. BECAUSE OF THIS YOU CAN LEARN THE HABIT OF THANKFULNESS.
B. First start by being thankful today. Everyone here has something that they can thank God for. Everyone here has something that they can thank some body for.
C. Find something to be thankful for in every situation and in everybody. By doing this you will lighting up the world and opening the way for the gospel to be taught to someone.
illus
I watch people. At Quincy's restaurant (thank god for Quincy's) I watched a waitress wait on a sour-pus. Across the room she waited on a more pleasant person (me) who thanked her for each bit of attention and complimented her on a job well done Who do you think got the best service?
I. WE ARE TO THANK GOD FOR EVERYTHING.
II. The ABUNDANT LIFE DEPENDS ON THANKFULNESS
III. THANKFULNESS IS A HABIT THAT CAN BE DEVELOPED
